MLB Cy Young Odds 2026: AL & NL Favorites, Predictions

Starting pitchers may not carry the same weight in today’s game as they once did, but there’s still something special about watching the best take the mound every few days.

In 2025, Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal and Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes were considered the best hurlers in the sport. Skubal won his second straight Cy Young award in the American League, while Skenes earned his first trophy in the National League.

Get the latest MLB betting odds and predictions for the 2026 Cy Young market:

AL Cy Young Odds 2026: Favorites

Who Will Win the AL Cy Young in 2026?

New York Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler has surged to the top of the American League Cy Young market, now listed at +200 — an implied probability of 33.33%.

After opening the preseason as a +4000 long shot, Schlittler has emerged as one of the breakout stars on the AL’s top team. Through seven starts, he owns a 5-1 record with a 1.52 ERA, racking up 53 strikeouts across 47 1/3 innings. The 6-foot-6 righty is in just his second MLB season after being selected in the seventh round of the 2022 draft out of Northeastern.

He first made a national impression last October, tossing eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts to lead the Yankees past the Boston Red Sox in Game 3 of the AL Wild Card. Entering this season with considerable hype, Schlittler has somehow exceeded expectations.

That said, his rise to favorite status is tied in part to a major development involving Tarik Skubal. The Detroit Tigers ace is set to undergo elbow surgery on May 4 and currently has no clear timetable for a return. After being a +250 favorite as recently as late April, his odds have now been taken off the board.

Skubal opened the year at +300 following back-to-back Cy Young wins, becoming the first repeat winner since Jacob deGrom accomplished the feat in 2018 and 2019. The last American League pitcher to do so was Pedro Martínez in 1999 and 2000.

Given that Skubal is in a contract year, a cautious recovery seems likely, which could leave the AL Cy Young race wide open for the first time in several seasons.

While Schlittler is a worthy frontrunner, the field remains deep. Yankees teammate Max Fried has been dominant in his second year with the club, while José Soriano is putting together a breakout campaign with the Angels.

Elsewhere, Dylan Cease has delivered strong results in his first season with the Blue Jays, and a healthy Jacob deGrom always looms as a threat. Meanwhile, Bryan Woo of the Mariners remains my favorite target in this market.

Prediction: Max Fried

NL Cy Young Odds 2026: Favorites

Who Will Win the NL Cy Young in 2026?

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes has returned to being the betting favorite to win the National League Cy Young award. At +190, Skenes has an implied probability of 34.48%.

Following the opening weekend of the 2026 campaign, Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez passed Skenes as the favorite. But Skenes jumped back in front more than a week later.

If the first couple of weeks were any indication, this race figures to be much more competitive in 2026.

There wasn’t much drama in the NL Cy Young competition last season. Skenes started as a +400 favorite after demonstrating some of the best stuff in baseball during a NL Rookie of the Year campaign in 2024.

For his encore act, Skenes spun a 1.97 ERA in 32 starts. He registered 216 strikeouts and 42 walks across 187 2/3 innings, generating a bWAR of 7.6.

Bettors couldn’t get enough of Skenes in this market at BetMGM. He received the most handle (32.7%) and second-most tickets (11.1%) in this market. They proved to be right, as he led as the favorite for much of the year before receiving all 30 first-place votes.

Skenes became the first unanimous NL Cy Young since Sandy Alcántara in 2022 and just the fifth in the past two decades. He’s the third Pirates pitcher to win the award, joining Doug Drabek (1990) and Vern Law (1960).

Simply put, Skenes is the best pitcher in the sport. He could be just getting started when it comes to winning Cy Young awards.

However, some talented pitchers can put pressure on Skenes.

Sánchez garnered all 30 second-place votes to finish as the runner-up. Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who won the World Series MVP award after a magnificent postseason, finished third.

I also can’t shake this feeling that Shohei Ohtani might just be motivated to win a Cy Young trophy later in his career, as he’s always seemed to prefer pitching over hitting.

This race is only just getting started, with several names worth keeping an eye on.

Prediction: Paul Skenes

2025 AL Cy Young Voting

2025 NL Cy Young Voting

List of AL & NL Cy Young Winners

*There was only one award for both leagues from 1956-66.

Players With Most Cy Young Awards

Roger Clemens has won the most Cy Young Awards (seven):

Roger Clemens: 7
Randy Johnson: 5
Greg Maddux: 4
Steve Carlton: 4

Teams With Most Cy Young Awards

The Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers have the most Cy Young Awards (12):

Dodgers: 12
Braves: 8
Mets: 7
Phillies: 7
Red Sox: 7

Has a Rookie Ever Won the Cy Young Award?

Fernando Valenzuela is the only rookie to win the Cy Young.

As a 21-year-old for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981, Valenzuela won the NL Cy Young. He was led the MLB in strikeouts and won NL Rookie of the Year in leading the Dodgers to the World Series.